14 7 7 7 Network Blue Champion Green Bay Packers Location Polo Grounds Announcer Harry Wismer | 14 0 Referee Roland Gibbs Announcers Harry Wismer Start date 1944 Stadium Polo Grounds Attendance 46,016 | |
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Similar 1936 NFL Championship Game, 1965 NFL Championship Game, 1941 NFL Championship Game, 1946 NFL Championship Game, 1961 NFL Championship Game | ||
The 1944 National Football League Championship Game was the 12th NFL title game. The game was played on December 17 at the Polo Grounds in New York City, and the attendance was 46,016. The game featured the Green Bay Packers (8–2), champions of the Western Division versus the Eastern Division champion New York Giants (8–1–1).
Contents
The Packers were led by longtime head coach Curly Lambeau and its stars were running back Ted Fritsch, end Don Hutson, and quarterback Irv Comp. The Giants were led by head coach Steve Owen. They also had running back Bill Paschal and former Packers quarterback Arnie Herber as well as a dominant defense. The Packers were slight favorites, despite the Giants' 24–0 shutout win four weeks earlier. Prior to the game, the Packers had spent over a week preparing in Charlottesville, Virginia The Packers completed their regular season on November 26, the Giants on December 10.
Green Bay scored two touchdowns in the second quarter then yielded one early in the fourth to win 14-7 for their sixth and final league title under Lambeau, their first since 1939.
The Packers did not return to the title game for 16 years, and won the following year in 1961, the first of five titles in seven seasons in the 1960s under head coach Vince Lombardi.
Scoring summary
Sunday, December 17, 1944
Kickoff: 2 p.m. EWT (EDT)
Officials
The NFL had only four game officials in 1944; the back judge was added in 1947, the line judge in 1965, and the side judge in 1978.
Players' shares
The players' shares were the highest to date: each Packer player received about $1,500 while each Giant saw about $900.